It's Not Optional

“…so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” -1 Corinthians 12:25-27

Before a person gives their life to Jesus, they function as an independent operator. They choose what they will do, when they will do it, and how they will do it all based out of their personal operating system of preferences and opinions. The flaw in this approach is that no matter how noble the path may seem, there is something broken inside the flesh. The independent operator is blown along by the wind of sinful human desires and not the Spirit.

When that person confesses their sin, places their faith in Jesus, and surrenders their life to His Lordship, things begin to radically change over time. The new life has come and the old life has passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17). A big part of that transformation is learning to live in dependent relationships and accepting their adoption into God’s family!

The great danger however is that the Jesus follower remains in their old thinking patterns as an independent operator. They have been conditioned by culture to do it alone and be as self-sufficient as possible. This thinking will severely limit your development and is a major risk spiritually!

You are no longer independent! Spiritual maturity is becoming more dependent on God and interdependent in the Body of Christ - His Church! Some believers still think and function independently and treat their involvement in the Church as optional. When you think of your participation in the Church like a buffet that you can take and leave as you desire, you are denying your new reality as a member of His larger Body (v.27).

How can the eye or the arm say they don’t need the body to function? Life is in the Body staying connected to the Head and to the other members of the Body! You need the Body of Christ for encouragement, support, relationship, mission, and so much more!

The Body also needs you! Where would the Body be if we were missing parts of the whole? When others are down, they need you to pray for them and lift them up. When others experience a victory, they need to be seen and celebrated by you! There is health and joy when the Body functions as it should!

We are one Body and operating as if you are independent from God’s Church is to ignore God’s built-in survival support system for your spiritual life! If you treat parts of the Body as optional, don’t be surprised when you limp along spiritually and never reach your potential!

We are, in every way, better together! You need the Body and the Church needs you! It’s not optional!

Right on?

Read/listen to 1 Corinthians chapters 11-13

Prayer focus: talk with God about the importance of His Church in your life and your role in helping His Body

Check out this week's video...

https://www.youtube.com/@brandonscottbruce

Subscribe By Email

Win Your Race

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬-‭26‬

The moment you were born, you joined the human race! Death is the finish line on earth, but we don’t want to be the first to finish that race. To be born again (John 3:3) includes beginning to see a new race and running toward a better finish line! You are running, but are you running to win your race?

Not everyone runs like they want to win the race. Many are running aimlessly and carelessly! Running your race without intentionality and tenacity leads to a regrettable finish.

Yes, we do have victory in Christ over sin, the grave, and hell. However, once we are saved by God’s grace, it’s now time to pick up the pace and run with greater purpose!

What does it take to win your race?

It’s hard to win a race if you can’t see the finish line! Running aimlessly is often the result of an undefined track or unclear finish. Do you know what your motivation is and are you focused on what a successful finish is for you?

To win, you must also run with passion toward the eternal reward waiting for you! You can’t run casually and expect to hoist the trophy above your head! You have to run with everything you can give! Maintaining that intensity over a long period of time can wear down your motivation.

To sustain your pace, keep your eyes on Jesus, who finished His race on earth victoriously even through great pain and suffering! If you ever start to lose your motivation to run hard, look to the One who left it all on the track for you! What Jesus accomplished for us through the cross drives our vision for all we will accomplish for Him!

Finally, you have to win the race before it starts! You do that through the hard work of preparation and discipline every day. Every athlete set on victory, trains consistently and diligently in preparation for the competition. We train by competing against ourselves and through developing elite spiritual discipline. We improve upon who we used to be and who we would have been without Christ. We develop spiritual disciplines that we practice faithfully with joy. We are equipped and trained with skills in the work God has entrusted to us! You build strength so you can run harder and longer for the glory of God!

When you run your race for Christ and you run to win, you can hang on in the hard part of the race knowing your Heavenly Coach is waiting at the finish line to say well done good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21). You’ll have all eternity to celebrate the wins as you enjoy the presence of God and His people!

Right on?

Read/listen to 1 Corinthians chapters 8-10

https://www.youtube.com/@brandonscottbruce

Subscribe By Email

Say No So You Can Say Yes

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” -1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Saying no can be really hard… especially if you or someone else wants to say yes or saying no will create an uncomfortable situation. However, there are few things that can bless your life and build spiritual muscle more than improving your ability to say no.

People often prefer floating between yes and no to avoid being pinned down under absolutes. We want freedom to do what we want, when we want to do it, and how we prefer to get it done. However, living your life based on what you feel like doing is built on a flawed foundation and a set-up for repeated stumbling into sin. Our natural instincts in the flesh are skewed by sinful desires.

As we mature spiritually, we increasingly align our will with God’s will. His will is the absolute best path for our lives that leads to the most love, joy, and peace long-term! In order for that maturity to take place, we must surrender our will to God’s will. You have to decide to say yes to what God says yes to and no when God says no, regardless of preference. Our personal preferences must submit to God’s plan.

God says a clear no to sin as laid out in His written Word. Some people won’t like it, others will argue against it, and many will try but realize how far they fall short of obeying God’s commands. The heart of the Gospel is not succeeding at following the rules, but realizing you can’t possibly get it all right because something inside is deeply broken. That leads us to an awareness of our need for God and His grace extended through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Despite our inability to keep all the rules, God does not lower His standard. It’s based on His perfect plan for us - not on human opinion or what we think is fair. Was it fair that our sinless Savior was crucified for our sins?

Spiritual muscle and maturity grow when we, through walking in His Spirit and living according to His Word, say no to sin. It takes courage to say no to yourself when you want to say yes. It is difficult to say no to children who want to hear a yes. It may feel unloving to say no when someone really wants you to say yes. However, saying no can be the most loving word you can say at times. It’s difficult to say no to those you lead or are responsible for, but leadership is not a popularity contest. It requires making the right decision and trusting the outcomes to God.

Choose the courageous and often more difficult path in the short-term by saying no so you can experience greater blessing and peace in the long-term! Be willing to say no to sin so you can say yes to God’s best!

Right on?

Read/listen to 1 Corinthians chapters 5-7

Check out today's video...

https://www.youtube.com/@brandonscottbruce

Subscribe By Email